Winn-Dixie Helps Farmed Animals!

Written by PETA | July 17, 2008

Chances are that if you live in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, or Mississippi, you’ve shopped at a Winn-Dixie. Well, you’ll be glad to know that this top grocery chain, which operates 520 stores in the South, has just made some improvements in how some of the chickens and pigs killed for its products are treated.

Now before anyone jumps all over us, yes, we are vegans; yes, we spend buckets of money trying to get other people to go vegan; and yes, as long as one chicken is going to be killed because we aren’t able to prevent people from buying and cooking birds, we want that death to be as painless as possible.

Following about five months of discussions with PETA (and there was that matter of the shareholder resolution we submitted to the company), Winn-Dixie has adopted an animal welfare plan. The company has agreed to do the following:

Give purchasing preference to suppliers that use or switch to controlled-atmosphere killing (the least cruel method of bird slaughter) and begin purchasing 5 percent of its turkeys from suppliers that use this method by the end of 2010.

Give purchasing preference to suppliers that don’t use gestation crates—restrictive metal enclosures that confine pregnant pigs—and increase the total amount of pig meat that it purchases from crate-free facilities by 5 percent over each of the next three years (to reach a total of 15 percent).

Give purchasing preference to producers of cage-free eggs, increase the amount of cage-free eggs that it sells to 4 percent by the end of 2009 and 5 percent by the end of 2010, and work toward increasing that amount to 10 percent within the next five years.

Winn-Dixie is following in the footsteps of other major grocery and restaurant companies that have recently made animal welfare improvements after working with PETA. Those companies include Safeway, Harris Teeter (another large Southern grocery chain), Burger King, Carl’s Jr., and Hardee’s.

While this certainly doesn’t mean that the eggs and meat at Winn-Dixie (or any other chain) are produced without causing animals to suffer (check out Meat.org to see what I mean), it does mean that the worst abuses have been eliminated for some of the animals. And we welcome any improvements in animals’ living and dying conditions!

If you’d like to thank Winn-Dixie, drop them a line through their online customer service form.

people shouldn’t be so hard on PETA just because they give a small pat on the back to companies that that are making changes to only purchase humanely treated animals. PETA clearly promotes a vegan lifestyle but through its experience knows that the world is not going to change overnight. these small pats on the back may turn out to be the foundations of PETA’S ultimate goal. Most of all how could any corporation or individual who cares about animals not appreciate PETA’S efforts enough to simply temporarily be content that PETA’S efforts has has once again convinced a company to only deal with suppliers who don’t abuse their animals. By the way I’m a meat eater desperately was searching for information about humanely treated animals for human consumption when I found this site. and as happy as i was to see that WinnDixie was at least trying to be part of the solution I was equally shocked that some vegans dared to speak negative of the primary group fighting for animal rights. PETA please do not let the ignorance of others change your ways or tactics. I thank you for all that you’ve done and I thank WinnDixie for listening to you. I will now drive past publix just to purchase cruel free meat from you.

I just dropped Win Dixie a thank you and it was truly sincere. I think it’s important to reward positive action even though it’s just beginning. Tell your friends about what Win Dixie Burger King and others are doing and make certain you as a consumer tell them you appreciate their help. I think it could easily become an advertising plus PR for them. And could really start to snow ball and get real results! If they start saying they are more humane to farm animals they’ll also be educating and spreading the word!

Erica My comment was not meant to be a criticism of anyone who is striving to be vegan. I know it is hard to be 100 vegan in American society because there are so many things we don’t know about. What I was suggesting was that anyone who is intentionally vegetarian make the switch to veganism and do their best to avoid ALL animal products. If you are doing the best you can that is all you can do. I know I am not perfect either but if we all make the commitment to do the best we can with what we know that will definitely impact the bottom line for the animal abuse industries.

I am one of those ‘hypocrite vegetarians’. It is difficult and I do what I can to be faithful. I have converted to rice milk the ‘meat’ I buy for myself is vegetarianvegan and now the products I buy are not tested on animals… but it is hard to commit when every where you turn you find out more and more products you wouldn’t even think of have animal byproducts in them. Marshmallows for one…I just found out they are made of boiled tendons and ligaments….no more s’mores or rice krispie treats. If the productcompany does not specifiy if they test on animals how can I be sure they don’t…and even if they say the don’t how can I be sure? I have to trust the company is being honest with me…just like the cage free eggs I buy. Are they cage free? I rely on PETA for information and bringing the truth out. I have only seen 23 horrendous videos and that is enough for me…I can’t watch anymore but I have a good idea what is going on out there. I know we can’t change the world overnight but think of the millions of animals we are saving by making a few conciencious choices for them! Thank you to all the investigators who do the ‘dirty work’ to keep the truth out there. I could not do it…but I will support those who can and do! PETA may spend a lot of money promoting veganism but I do too. Whenever I find a good ‘meatless’ product or a company that does not test on animals and is ‘green’ I share it with my friends and family..and when they try it…they are pleasantly surprised. Maybe some day they’ll share a great animal friendly product with me..then I’ll know I am making a real difference. Just like PETA I am also an advocate and do what I can with the resources I have. Every step is a giant step for me and the animals I care about…all of them! Love and Peace to all the animals!

I completely agree with you Antigone1000 the world needs everyone to think like you! I am a vegetarian and would be vegan but my mum has just gotten used to me being vegetarian! All vegetarians are hypocrites as they are still causing horrific suffering by supporting the dairy and egg industrieswhen I cook for myself my food’s always vegan but my mum just sees that as an inconvenience.My dad sees the sense and appreciates that vegnism is the diet of the future1 Judith i totally agreenot much progress!though far better than none here in Scotland most retailers offer good quality free range eggs and most don’t sell battery eggs. a huge free range movement in the U.K led by celebrity chefs primarily Hugh FearnleyWhittingstalllook up his chicken out website and take a leaf out of his book corporate monopolists and citizens alike!Though we all must remeber that no slaughter is ”humane” and that such ”free range” marketing is deceitful hype it is good so many people are beginning to at least think about the food they eatthe next step for these people is vegetarianism then veganism!I’m no zealot I just want a future for the world! I agree with everyone’s points minus those of Zeta and I agree with most of what Adam said. Peace to humans and animals!

To all those who think that the only right thing to do is to “ease” people into veganism keep in mind that millions of animals are dying meanwhile. They don’t have an eternity to wait for humans to stop being selfish and show a little compassion. Some people never will but at some point those who care about animals need to make the full commitment to veganism and forgot the selfish people that will never truly care about anyone beyond themselves. If every person who cares about animals committed to veganism and started tomorrow that would have a huge financial impact on the animalabuse industries. If we all supported each other and fought together we could achieve AR and those people who will “never give up the taste of meat” will have to learn to do without itlike those before them who had to learn to survive without their slaves……

Like Ryan I wondered whether the 2nd paragraph was intended for me with my recent pro ARvegan comments. Ryan expressed better than I can my thoughts when I first came here in Jan. I found his insightful and genuine concerns a refreshing change from the overwhelming number of Peta bashing comments that are welcomed. And I know Peta can meet his challenges. His comment was one of the few long posts I read with great care and didn’t just skim over with my eyes glazed over. I hope he sticks around. I eagerly welcome his posts.

While I am not a Vegan or Vegitarian and sorry never will be I do have to agree with some of Ryan’s sentiments. I fail to see why it should take so long to implement such changes. But at the same time you have to realize that these changes are coming from people who at least prior to the changes simply do not believe they are doing anything wrong! I like meat I wil not be giving up my steaks until a comparable synthetic version is developed. That said however I do my best to buy my meat from either Kosher or nonfactory farm suppliers. I find it sadly ironic that most people show SO much concern for prisoners on Death Row and that they should be so “humanely” executed but those same people think nothing of going to the store and buying factory farm food. The criminals are being executed for having demonstrated their lack of care for other humans the animals are being cruely slaughtered for having done nothing but exist. If THAT isn’t wrong I don’t know what is. I think it would be interesting for PETA to poll and interview some of the people advocating the “humane” death penalty methods and see what kinds of foods they buy and their opinion of animal suffering. With fake furs and stuff looking and feeling like ther real thing there is NO excuse for anyone to EVER want or need the real thing. But lastly regarding PETA’s applauding of every concession they DO need to do that because every concession is a step closer to ending animal suffering from people who just do not see that what they are doing is wrong.

Ryan’s comments are compelling and logical. However as a historian I see gradual change as productive and I realize that little comes from ideological revolutions. That is not to say that I do not largely share his ideas. When exploitors acknowledge they owe the animal anything then groundwork has been laid. From a pragmatic standpoint to get an important element of the exploiters to concede anything on moral grounds is to shift their perception of animal use to moral issue. When we get more people’s view of animals into a moral dimension however rudimentary then we stand the chance to prevail. PS for honesty’s sake let me say I am not Vegan.

“yes we spend buckets if money to get other people to go vegan” Sorry PETA the only person that will decide he’ll go vegan is the person himself. Well anyway I’m not going to be on the Internet anymore or on the the computer at all anymore. I’m selling it. Bye.

Good points Ryan but I think some things especially factory farming can only be won incrementally. Things like fur vivisection circuses etc. have a much better chance of wholesale discontinuance. Or of course the Canadian seal slaughter if the EU votes with their consciences.

While modesty prevents me from thinking the second paragraph was entirely influenced by my recent prolific spate of comments I have certainly been critical as of late. Please indulge me one somewhat more lengthy comment here and I will try to keep them brief and pithy in the future. My critique of PETA’s “victories” on this blog and elsewhere has always been predicated on one simple notion it is morally and strategically incoherent to advocate animal rights while celebrating awarding and congratulating people who violate those rights. I oppose the perpetual conflation of “vegetarianism” and “veganism” not etymologically but because it congratulates people for adopting an animal exploiting lifestyle. I oppose giving awards to e.g. Wolfgang Puck for his choice of veal not because I would rather he torture animals more but because it celebrates an animal exploiter for continuing to exploit animals. I oppose ending boycotts in response to welfare improvements not out of opposition to improving animal lives but because it gives the impression of a fresh PETA “seal of approval” to carry on consuming the products so boycotted. If the Myanmar junta started giving its political prisoners beds rather than concrete floors I wouldn’t expect Amnesty International to issue a press release congratulating them and giving them a “most improved dictatorship” award. I merely expect the same sort of consistency from PETA and any other group that claims to be in favor of actual rights for animals. This is not to imply that welfare improvements don’t mean something to animals. It is not to imply that vegetarians aren’t doing better than omnivores at avoiding the infliction of harm. It is rather a matter of overarching policy and vision. I expect PETA to get endorsements from vegan celebrities for what they’re worth. I expect PETA to celebrate when an exploitative practice is actually ended such as a circus ending animal use or a clothing company halting the use of fur. These are consistent with advocacy for animal rights. They are real solid meaningful victoriesnot PR victories for companies who can now sell “humane” death to people whose consciences have been cleared by PETA’s congratulations. The world will not stop seeing animals as property to be used and abused overnight or likely even in our lifetimes we agree on that much. That’s why it is all the more important for caring people with a platformPETA and its bloggers for exampleto encourage people to genuinely opt out of that use and abuse and to do so transparently calling a spade a spade calling a vegan a vegan. It means that when our side wins a welfare improvement we ALWAYS follow it up with the statement that it is nowhere near enough and that we NEVER give awards to those who continue to do the things we oppose. It’s simple honest consistency I ask for nothing more. I enjoy the PETA Files. I’ll keep reading and I’ll keep commenting. Always on topic always constructive. We’re on the same team here and we can stand side by side and fight the good fight while continuing to challenge each other when we have differences. Thanks.

Thankyou WinnDixie and of course many thanks once again to Peta for all their hard work and effort!! I would have liked to see thoughs percents at a 100 but I guess something is better then nothing and especially when that something may get noticed by their competitors! I pray that one day we can all coexist together and not have to rely on flesh to live BUT maybe not in my life time but at least if I could see CAK to be the 1 method to murder ok sorry to kill our feathered animals and that the sun may warm their intacted beaks even for a few hours a day and that gestation crates will only be seen or read in text books and they too along with all the other animals so brutally murdered for their flesh feel the sun and live happy without stress from humans. Amen. Peace

Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights? Read more.